Veteran theatre-film actress and dancer-choreographer Zohra Segal's autobiography will be launched this Tuesday in Delhi. A modern upbringing in the 1920s, a whirlwind romance, Partition, and widowhood all set against the arc lights, Segal claims she sailed through life with a focus on the lighter side
Veteran theatre-film actress and dancer-choreographer Zohra Segal's autobiography will be launched this Tuesday in Delhi. A modern upbringing in the 1920s, a whirlwind romance, Partition, and widowhood all set against the arc lights, Segal claims she sailed through life with a focus on the lighter side
Ninety-eight years young, Zohra Segal may have finally hung up her boots, but Close Up: Memoirs of a Life on Stage & Screenu00a0 captures 80 years of her career, as she moved from wanting to become a pilot to turning to dance, blossoming into a choreographer, switching tracks to theatre, then television and film.
It also sifts through her rock solid relationships with both her gurus: Uday Shankar, who she refers to as Dada, and Prithviraj Kapoor who she calls Papaji. The autobiography is dedicated to them and "Abbajan", her fiercely proud and affectionate father, and her maternal uncle who she fondly called Memphis. From playing Jack in Jack and The Beanstalk, right up to her recent comeback as a happy mom in the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Cheeni Kum, it's been a satisfying journey.
u00a0
Segal as Lady Lili Chatterjee in UK-based TV series Jewel In
The Crown (1982)
Segal and Jamila Verghese in The Caucacian Chalk Circle in Delhi, 1962 
Segal as Mrs Pong in a comedy theatre performance in England, The
Primary English Class 
A portrait of Segal at 25, taken in Budapest during one of her tours
with the Uday Shankar Ballet Company 
Kameshwar Segal, Zohra's husband, a noted danseuse and choreographer
himself 
Segal with dancer-daughter Kiran and banker-son Pavan. Segal and Kiran
live with Kiran's children in New Delhi
Select excerpts
Pg 26>> I was the third child in the family, and because Indians are more colour conscious than the rest of the world, I was a great favourite for the simple reason that I was a shade lighter than my elder brother and sister. I suppose I fell from grace when the next two children were born, both as pale as Anglo-Indians; my younger sister even having golden curls as a baby, a frequent occurrence amongst Pathans.u00a0
u00a0
Pg 31>> Later, when I was ten, playing Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk, I overheard my English teacher, Miss Harvey, remark "This girl could earn ten pounds a week on the London stage." I had absolutely no idea how much that was but it sounded grand, and I felt as if I was already halfway to the moon! The sentence stuck in my mind and may even have spurred me on to choose acting as a career.u00a0
u00a0
Pg 33>> When I eventually left school after my matriculation in 1929, I took the bull by the horns and boldly wrote to my uncle, saying that I had no intention of getting married just then and wanted to go in for a career. Much to my joy he wrote back saying that he would back me up in this, but what exactly did I want to do? It was then that my brother wrote to me from England suggesting, "How would you like to be the first Indian girl pilot?" I was thrilled at the idea and wrote to my father for his opinion and consent. He wrote back saying, "You have my permission; but I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you." This sentence moved me so much that I gave up the idea of a career in flying, although reluctantly.u00a0
u00a0
Pg 95>> When Kameshwar (Segal) proposed to me for the first time, I put him off with a laugh -- we were of different religions and he was years younger than me. I could never imagine such a possibility. But once Segal made up his mind to do anything no power on earth could stop him. Eventually his persistence won me over.
After he visited my family in the holidays and I met his people in Indore during one of our tours, I accepted his proposal and we took special leave to go to the plains for making all the arrangements. My uncle was overjoyed at the news, but my father was very upset. When we went to see him in Dehradun, he said he understood my having made such a decision but was unable to accept the idea of his daughter marrying a Hindu. He could not help himself.
At this Kameshwar said he was prepared to become a Muslim. "No!" said my father emphatically, "what would be my feelings if Zohra became a Hindu? Think of your parents."u00a0
u00a0
Pg 103>> When we returned to Lahore (after a tour with the troupe of Zohra and Kameshwar's dance school Zoresh), we found the Punjab seething with unrest due to the impending Partition. Our erstwhile Muslim friends began to look upon us with certain misgivings, and an unspoken and hostile unease pervaded our circle of acquaintances. There would be no room for a Hindu-Muslim couple in the future country of Pakistan, and we felt we should move away from the danger before it overtook us.u00a0
u00a0...We decided to close the Zoresh Dance Institute and I proceeded to Bombay with Kiran (daughter), while Kameshwar stayed behind to wind up the business, and also because he had just been engaged as art director for J.K. Nanda's film, Afsana, starring Suraiya.
Pg 108>> I had been accompanying Uzra (sister) to the theatre (Prithvi Theatre) off and on for rehearsals and had seen some of the shows of their current production, Shakuntala, in which she starred. There I met Prithviraj Kapoor, the founder-director and lead actor of Prithvi Theatres, and was greatly impressed by his personality. I did not think much of the play though, and found the sets atrocious, the overall effect being dated and laboured.
ADVERTISEMENT
Close-Up: Memoirs of A Life on Stage and Screen by Zohra Segal has been published by Women Unlimited, 291 pages, and is priced at Rs 375
The famous on Segal
Sanjna Kapoor, director, Prithvi Theatre
I met Zohraji for the first time in 2006, when we were putting together the programme for Papaji's (Prithviraj Kapoor)birth centenary. She was among nine of Prithvi Theatre's old actors who were to do scenes from their plays and/or talk of the Theatre in the past. What amazed me was her professionalism. She insisted on having rehearsals, wanted a director; it was just so humbling. I was so touched to see the letters from Papaji to Zohraji; it gives you a sense of that time. I absolutely love her writing!
Ranbir Kapoor, co-star in Saawariya
Even though she started her career with my great-grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor, when Zohraji acted with me in my first film, I felt like she was my leading lady and I was her hero. We bonded like friends despite the difference in age. She used to compliment me on my shoulders every day, and made sure I blushed. She used to serenade me with a new song every day.
R Balki, director, Cheeni Kum
Mrs Segal got nearly all her scenes okayed in one take. I remember we celebrated her birthday on the last day of the schedule of Cheeni Kum at the Qutb Minar in Delhi. All of us were dog tired but she was all smiles and full of life.
Ashish Khokar, dance scholar
I've known Zohra ammi for 40 years. She was my father's first dance teacher. She'd joke, 'You are meeting me when I'm old and ugly. You ought to have met me when I was young and ugly!' Whenever she performed on stage with Uday Shankar or her husband Kameshwar Segal, the chemistry was palpable.u00a0
Shabana Azmi, co-star in the play Train Compartment
Zohraji was my mother's (Shaukat Azmi) guru at Prithvi Theatre. I worked with her in a play on the Gujarat riots and was amazed at how she reported for rehearsals on time. Her love for life and her desire to carry on working is wonderful.
As told to Janaki Viswanathanu00a0
One of 21 never-before published letters by Prithviraj Kapoor
(Pg 210)
Dear, sweet Zohra ji,
It's two o'clock in the morning, I have just sat down to write to you -- sat down means lying on my stomach. Many todays have become tomorrows, but I will not allow this today to become tomorrow. I have written a ridiculous couplet:
u00a0
Woh pareshan hai, aaj ke jiss ne,
Aaj ko bech diya kal ke haath
(He is anxious today
Who has sold today to tomorrow)
u00a0
Sorry to have wasted so many todays. I am so happy that you are so good at making speeches, as if you are alight with electricity. At the beginning it is difficult to move, but then one finds oneself running. There is a Persian couplet:
Khisht-e-awwal choon nabad meimar kaj
Ta suriya mi rawad deewar kaj
u00a0
I thank God that your throat is better. May I ask when you will ever take care of yourself? I pray that you always remain well. I am also writing a prescription for you: boil one turnip in two litres of water, when the water is reduced to one litre, pour it into a thermos with a bit of salt. Drink two cups before sleeping and the remainder in the morning. Your throat will become like a sputnik! It helped my voice and now I sing for anyone who cares to listen. On Oct. 15th I am going to Jabalpur where a revolving stage is being inaugurated, and I have been invited to be the chief guest.
With loving blessings
Bhapa (Prithviraj Kapoor)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
